Russia Responds To "Absurd" Election Meddling Allegations

The indictment of 13 Russian nationals and three entities over allegations by the DOJ that Russians interfered in US elections - but "did not alter the outcome of the 2016 election" nor that any American was a knowing participant in this activity - are absurd, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Friday.

"13 people interfered in the US elections?! 13 against an intelligence services budget of billions? Against intelligence and counterintelligence, against the latest developments and technologies? Absurd? Yes," Zakharova wrote in a post on Facebook.

Then again, what else could she say.

Furthermore, as noted in the DOJ complaint, the funding for the Russian operation came from catering and management companies controlled by defendant Yevgeniy Viktorovich Prigozhin, a Russian businessman often referred to as "Putin's chef" in the media because his organizations had hosted dinners for Russian President Vladimir Putin and foreign leaders, the AP reported.

Prigozhin was quoted in Russian state media responding to the indictments, saying, "Americans are really impressionable people. They see what they want to see. I greatly respect them. I’m not upset at all that I am on this list. If they want to see the devil, let them see him."

This probably means that Russia will not exactly rush to extradite the 13 named officials to the US. Although, judging by the pic below, one is already deeply embedded within US society...